


My Predator

by ModMCdl



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, One Shot, Predator/Prey, Romance, brief blood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:01:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26309755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ModMCdl/pseuds/ModMCdl
Summary: They put the blueberry in the gun, and everything was going according to plan. But Nick Wilde still went savage that night in the museum. Short one-shot - Wildehopps.
Relationships: Judy Hopps/Nick Wilde
Comments: 8
Kudos: 104





	My Predator

**Author's Note:**

> I'm four years late to the party, this has probably been done countless times before. This is just a short one-shot I wrote a while ago that I'm finally getting around to posting. Trying to learn my way around publishing on Ao3.

The tall, concrete walls of the submerged exhibit rose up around the two. Fake grass and animals were positioned carefully, allowing for the visitors above to have a complete view of the entire scene, while still managing to appear quite natural. This meticulously planned setup allowed for the small sheep above to have a perfect view.

Judy glared up at Mayor Bellwether, with Nick taking an equally strong stance at her side. Pure fury radiated out from her hard gaze, as if trying to burn her betrayer with its intensity. The pain from her gashed leg only added fuel to the fire burning inside her.

“What are you going to do?” she asked. “Kill me?” Spite filled her voice as she challenged the mayor.

“Kill you?” Bellwether repeated, before she began to laugh. “Oh, ho ho… no, of course not!” Suddenly her face twisted into a sickening grin as she lifted the Nighthowler launcher from its formerly hidden place behind the briefcase.

“He is.”

There was a slight “poof” noise, a sound that did not justify the horror it launched. A dull, wet splat echoed around the pit as a blueberry smashed into the side of Nick’s neck. The fox let out a fake yelp as he fell onto his stomach. Everything was going according to plan.

Until Judy’s keen ears perked up, detecting the near-silent sound of glass breaking.

The bunny rushed to her partner’s side, desperately hoping the small sound was nothing. “No!” she cried. “Nick!” He turned over slightly, and Judy saw with horror a dark, blue stain coming through his shirt pocket. He had fallen on the capsule, breaking it and releasing the real Nighthowler serum into his body.

Judy could hear Bellwether dramatically saying something up above her, but her mind payed no attention. “No, Nick! Don’t do this! Fight it!” she said, no longer acting, but real pain and fear echoing in her voice. She placed her paws on his back, feeling as he breathed and panted heavily, trying to calm him down.

“Oh, but he can’t help it, can he?” the sheep taunted from above. “Since preds are biologically predisposed to be savages-”

Her rant was cut off in Judy’s ears by a sudden, primal growl coming from below her. She backed off fearfully, and sat frozen as she watched Nick’s beautiful green eyes get overtaken by dark, black pupils. The bunny threw herself backwards with a cry of fear as she got up and turned towards her menacingly.

Judy managed to get herself up, and began to limp away from the savage fox that was her friend. Nick instantly began to chase after her, having a considerable advantage without a limp. She ran into a stuffed deer, and thinking quickly, threw it behind her, watching as it smacked into the side of the fox. She then dove into the tall, fake grass ahead of her, backing away. Nick tore into the stuffed prey as if it were real, sending bits of stuffing flying everywhere. Judy watched in horror, realizing that would probably be her in a few moments.

Mayor Bellwether continued her antagonizing speech up above but Judy could no longer pay attention. Primal adrenaline and fear coursed through her body, a feeling bunnies had not felt in a very long time. She had lines that the two had planned to play out before, but they escaped her now and Nick’s eyes rose up from the mutilated deer, and met hers.

She quickly brushed the grass in order to block his line of sight, hoping in vain that he wouldn’t find her. Her gaze looked upwards to see the sheep standing over her, gun held haphazardly in one of her cloven hooves.

“And I’ll dart every predator in Zootopia if I have to.”

A loud growl came from right before her, and Judy let out a short scream as Nick’s muzzle broke through the grass, teeth bared and eyes devoid of mercy. “Oh… Nick…” she said softly, as the first tears began to well up in her eyes. She backed up until she felt her back press against the hard cement wall. “No… please!”

“Heh heh,” came the sheep’s laugh. “Bye-bye, bunny!”

The fox that used to be her friend stalked forwards slowly, drawing out the painful fear of impending death. He stood over her, eyes never leaving hers as her body racked with sobs. This was how she was going to die. Her friend, the fox that she loved, was going to maul her.

Judy refused to close her eyes, Nick’s muzzle right in front of her face. Her deep, violet eyes were locked onto the dark pupils of the fox before her, pleading him to back off. He showed no signs of doing so.

Suddenly, he leapt forward, and Judy let out a loud and powerful scream as powerful jaws came clamping around her neck. Pain exploded in her mind as teeth sank into either side of her, and blood began to pour from the new wound. Her ears went numb first, as the blood slowly drained from her body, seeping out into the mouth of her friend.

As her vision began to blur, she weakly reached up her arms and wrapped them around the neck of her friend, holding him tight one last time, as she spoke the words she never got to say to him. “I… I love you… Nick.”

She welcomed the darkness that came next, still desperately holding onto Nicholas Wilde.

\---

Shock and disgust erupted throughout Nick as his mouth was filled with rabbit’s blood. He loosened his jaw around the animal’s neck, and felt as weak, furry arms wrapped around his own head, managing to pull him closer.

“I… I love you… Nick,” came a feeble voice from below him, and the weak around his head fell limp.

The powerful taste of blood in his mouth was starting to clear the haze around his mind, and his hunger for flesh began to diminish. As this was happening, he began to suddenly realize what was happening. But he was too late, the damage had already been done.

His green eyes went wide with horror as he spit the blood out of his mouth. “Judy!” he rasped. No reply came from the bunny. He backed off of her, her small arms falling off from their grip around his neck.

He heard shouting above him, but he paid no attention as he desperately felt for a pulse, anything. Realizing that she would most likely bleed out before anything, he rushed to take off his shirt to stem the flow.

Nick was still not completely in it. Nighthowler was still rushing through his body, making it difficult for him to utilize his paws with the dexterity of a modern mammal. Pure shock was the only thing that was keeping him lucid. Eventually, he just tore it off and wrapped it around Judy’s neck.

The shouting above grew louder, and Nick vaguely recognized Chief Bogo's deep voice. He looked up to see at least seven ZPD officers with their tranq guns trained on him. Bellwether was in handcuffs, being held off to the side by another officer.

Chief Bogo spoke again. “Back away from her,” the water buffalo said calmly. “Just back away, and we’ll get this all sorted out.”

Another jolt of savage instinct took control of Nick. Not one of violence, but one of protection. He stood over Judy’s limp form, not unlike he was guarding one of his own, wounded cubs. A low growl escaped his throat.

Bogo retained his expression of calmness, refusing to be intimidated. “She needs professional medical attention,” he said. “You both do. Please, back away, and let us help her.”

Never breaking eye contact, Nick leaned down,and opened his maw. He gently and caringly bit down on Judy’s limp torso, being careful not to harm her, and lifted her up. The officers above tightened their grip on their tranq guns, but Bogo held out an arm, telling them to hold off.

Nick stood there for one last moment, before running to the opposite side and jumping up out of the pit, sneaking off into the night like the sly fox he was. Bursts of tranq darts whizzed after him, alongside Chief Bogo’s frantic shouts to not hit Officer Hopps.

Nick dove out of the Museum the same way that they had come in, and dodged into the subway tunnel. He could still hear the shouts of ZPD officers behind him, but he paid it no attention as he raced as far away as he could. Primal instinct was driving him, a primal instinct to keep Judy safe from the enemy.

Suddenly, a sharp prick of pain exploded in his hind leg, and he fell forwards, Judy rolling out of his open mouth. “No!” he gasped, his voice muffled by a throaty whine. “J-Judy!” His vision began to blur, and he watched helplessly as two officers lifted up the bunny in front of him.

He was lifted up into the air by strong arms that could only belong to Chief Bogo himself. “Need… to save her…” Nick said weakly, mixed in with a weak growl. Then the tranquilizer finally took its effect, and he began to slip away.

\---

He had failed her. She was dead and he had failed her.

Nick lay in the hospital bed, his left leg secured to the rail by a pair of cold, metal cuffs. Chief Bogo had assured him it was only temporary, and he wasn’t under arrest. However, everything he asked about Judy went unanswered. When he asked, he was only met with pained grimaces of pity. But no one gave him an answer.

So he knew she was dead. She was dead and he had failed her.

Days passed, and every night he would be woken up by the haunting nightmare of rabbit’s blood in his mouth, the mangled carcass of Judy lying before him. Nick would wake up screaming her name, and the doctors and nurses would come rushing in to calm him. But they would not tell him if she was alive, or dead. They did not tell him anything about her.

On the fourth day, Dr. Ciervo came in with a broad smile on his face. “Good morning, Nicholas!” he said in his ever-cheery manner. The only time Nick ever saw him unhappy was when he asked her about Judy. “Good news today!”

Nick grunted in reply. This old deer was one of the most annoying animals he had met in this place.

The doctor smiled and lifted up a syringe filled with a light pink liquid. “They’ve finally completed the antidote for the Nighthowler junk you got flowing through you!” he explained. “Now, I know that you yourself are a remarkable case, and we still don’t know exactly how you’re managing to fight it, but they won’t let me remove those cuffs until you’re cured.” He shrugged. “So, I’m gonna’ cure you!”

Dr. Ciervo’s happy-go-lucky attitude had an opposite effect on Nick. It made him want to punch the wall. Or Dr. Ciervo. Either or.

He winced slightly as the deer gently pricked his arm with the needle, deploying the antiserum into his body. However, to his amazement, the last of the lingering haze clouding his mind quickly dissipated, and his body seemed to relax back into it’s bipedal form. The mobility and dexterity of his paws came back, and he wiggled them, watching in fascination at the motion he had not been able to make for a few days.

A dull, metal clunk from the end of his bed broke him out of his reverie, and he watched as Ciervo removed the cuffs connecting his leg to the bed. “There we go!” he said. “You’re a free fox again!” Nick flexed his leg, cracking the stiff joints. “Go on, try to stand!” the doctor encouraged me.

Nick did as he was advised, and swung his legs off the side of the hospital bed. He shuddered as his bare paws hit the cold, tiled floor. Bracing himself, he pushed off of the bed, and tried to stand.

His balance was off from lying down for so long, but after a few tries, he managed to stand on his own. He let out a happy bark of laughter at this newfound freedom, and went to sit back down.

“Oh no,” said Dr. Ciervo, shaking a digit at him. “Get back up! We got places to go!”

Nick looked at the deer in confusion as he was led out of his room and into the hallway, wearing only the set of trousers he came in with. It felt weird walking around shirtless, but Nick was bothered by worse things. They entered an elevator, and the doctor slid his ID card into a slot before punching in “level 6.”

“You know, kid,” said Dr. Ciervo. “You got a good heart, and a fine soul. I’m breaking a few dozen protocols, and at least three laws doing this, and that’s the only reason why.” Nick only looked at him in bewilderment. “I knew since day one that not even a dozen doses of that Nighthowler junk would be able to break you. Those cops were going overboard.

The elevator let out a ding, and the door slid open to reveal a set of metal doors labeled “ICU - Intensive Care Unit.”

“What are we doing here?” asked Nick.

Dr. Ciervo chuckled brightly as he used his card to unlock the doors. “Visiting someone,” came the cryptic reply.

Realization slowly began to dawn on him as the pair walked down the white hallway, past rooms of patients, until they came to room 3416. Once again, Dr. Ciervo slid his card in the slot. The light flashed green, and the door swung open to reveal a hospital bed surrounded by various machines.

Nick stood frozen in the doorway, walking forwards only when the doctor gave him a slight push. “Go on in!” he encouraged. “She’s sleeping right now, so try not wake her up.” The door closed behind him, and Nick slowly approached the hospital bed, and the sight before him broke his heart.

Judy lay in the bed, sleeping peacefully. Her little, bunny chest rose and fell softly beneath the green hospital gown. Bandages wrapped around her neck, light red blotches staining on either side.

Tears welled up in Nick’s eyes as he saw the wounds. They were there because of him. He couldn’t protect her from himself. He had failed her.

He collapsed next to the bed, leaning into the mattress as sobs racked his body. “I-I’m so s-sorry, Judy,” he said into the sheets, unable to express his sadness and regret any other way.

Nick lay there as his sobs died down, littling to silent tears as he watched his friend sleep. Eventually, Judy’s last words to him found their way into his mind.

“I love you, Nick.”

He loved her too. Ever since they started to work together, he was amazed by her determined nature to not give up. And over these past few, terrifying days, he realized with sadness that he loved her too. But he thought she was dead. And now, even though she was alive, that small glimmer of hope died out quickly. She would never have him now. He had, in all essence, tried to kill her.

Suddenly, a gentle paw began to rub against the top of his head. It slowly brushed over his scalp, rubbing behind his ears. He shifted his gaze to look at who was behind it.

“H-hey,” said Judy, her voice croaking as she smiled softly at him.

“Hey…” he replied hesitantly.

Silence took over the two, before the bunny spoke up again, her voice clearer.

“Feeling better?”

Nick just stared at her, as his ears perked up in shock. “Am I feeling better?” he asked, bewildered as tears began to flood his eyes again. “Judy, I tried to eat you, and you ask me how I’m feeling?”

Judy nodded, moving her paw to wipe the tears from Nick’s beautiful green eyes. “You weren’t yourself,” she said. “It wasn’t your fault.”

The fox just continued to cry. “Judy, I’ve had nightmares about that night,” he said. “The taste… the taste of blood in my mouth, your d- de....” He couldn’t bring himself to say the word. “Your body was lying in front of me.” He shifted his gaze to look at her again. “Judy, I’m so sorry.”

Judy just continued to smile softly at him. “It’s alright, Nick,” she assured him, still softly stroking his head with a paw. “See, you’re hurt more by it than I am.” Nick just continued to look at her, tears streaking his cheeks. “In all of my dreams, you saved me.”

This did little to assure Nick, and he closed his eyes, a look of pure pain radiating on his face. “I’m a monster,” he said, painfully admitting it to himself. “That’s all I am.”

The bunny in front of him lifted up his face to look at her. “You’re not a monster, Nick. You’re a predator.” Judy’s face took on a somewhat bashful look. “You’re my predator.”

Hope flooded back into his body upon hearing those words. “You, you mean-” he began.

“I told you I loved you, Nick,” said Judy softly. “I wasn’t lying.”

A new wave of tears overcame the fox, but this time, they were tears of joy. “I love you too, carrots,” he said. Relief filled his heart, for Judy had forgiven him. Looking back, he didn’t know why he thought she wouldn’t. Of course that dumb bunny would forgive him.

Judy finally removed the paw that was stroking his head, and patted the bed next to her. “Come here, you sly fox,” she said, giggling. “Come protect me from my nightmares.”

Nick gently crawled into bed next to her. “We’re probably gonna’ get in trouble for this later,” said Nick, his hustling grin back on his face.

Judy just shrugged. “Eh, I honestly don’t care right now.”

Nick let out a bark of laughter, before leaning down and gently kissing Judy’s forehead.

“Goodnight, carrots.”

The bunny curled up against the soft fur of the foxes bare chest, their fur mixing together, and his warmth keeping her warm.

“Goodnight, my predator.”

And so, the prey lay in the gentle, protective grasp of a predator. There would be no nightmares for either that night.


End file.
